Dvādaśī Vratas in the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa
A vrata is a sacred vow, usually a fast or a set of observances kept on a chosen day. Dvādaśī is the twelfth day of each half of the lunar month, and it is held to be especially sacred to Bhagavān Vishṇu. Chapters 157 to 165 of the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa explain the Dvādaśī vratas step by step.
These chapters cover the year-long Rājyaprada Dvādaśī for gaining a kingdom, the many Kāma-Dvādaśīs for wished-for fruits, the Dvādaśīs of the bright and dark fortnights month by month, the very special Śravaṇa Dvādaśī, the Tila Dvādaśī, and the Dvādaśākshara mantra.
Rājyaprada Dvādaśī: Fasting for a Kingdom (Chapter 157)
The Rājyaprada Dvādaśī is a vrata kept for one full year. The devotee fasts on every Dvādaśī of the year, in both the Śukla Paksha (bright fortnight) and the Kṛshṇa Paksha (dark fortnight). The aim is to gain or keep rājya (royal power). The steps for the two fortnights are a little different. The phala (fruit, or result) is a kingdom, prosperity and protection of the realm.
Kāma-Dvādaśī: Dvādaśī for Desired Fruits (Chapter 158)
This chapter teaches that every Dvādaśī of the year, when kept with a clear intention, gives the fruit that is wished for. Dvādaśī is the most powerful tithi (lunar day) for vratas to Vishṇu. Each month’s Dvādaśī has its own phala, which depends on the devatā (deity) honoured, the naivedya (food offered), and the intention of the devotee.
Month-by-Month Śukla Paksha Dvādaśīs (Chapter 159)
Chapter 159 goes through the Dvādaśī of the bright fortnight month by month and gives the phala of each:
- Mārgaśīrsha Dvādaśī: the phala of the Agnishoma sacrifice
- It continues in this way through all twelve months
- Kārttika Dvādaśī: the phala of the Sarvamedha, equal to all yajñas (sacred fire offerings)
The chapter ends with the greatest fruit, Śvetadvīpa. Those who keep all twelve Dvādaśīs with full devotion reach Bhagavān Vishṇu’s own abode.
Kṛshṇa Paksha Dvādaśīs (Chapter 160)
The Dvādaśī of the dark fortnight is kept with tila (sesame) and by chanting the name of Kṛshṇa. Its phala is freedom from naraka (the realms of suffering). A devotee who keeps these Dvādaśīs through the year is protected from every kind of naraka.
Śravaṇa Dvādaśī (Chapter 161)
The Śravaṇa Dvādaśī is the Dvādaśī of the bright fortnight of Bhādrapada month when it falls on the Śravaṇa nakshatra (lunar mansion). Keeping it gives the merit of visiting all tīrthas (holy places) at once. If this Dvādaśī also falls on a Wednesday (Budha-vāra), it is thought to be extremely rare and auspicious, and the merit is multiplied. The holy place linked with it is the meeting point of the Candrabhāgā and Toshī rivers.
Piśāca Mokshaṇa: The Story (Chapter 162)
The teaching story for the Śravaṇa Dvādaśī is about a merchant who met pretas (restless spirits of the dead) in a desert. One preta told him about his condition and asked him to perform śrāddha (rites for the departed) at Gayā. Through this śrāddha the pretas were set free.
The Glory of Tila Dvādaśī (Chapter 163)
Chapter 163 praises the Tila Dvādaśī, the Dvādaśī kept with sesame. In this chapter the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa records the two great mantras of the Vaishṇava tradition:
- Dvādaśākshara mantra: “Oṃ namo bhagavate Vāsudevāya”, the twelve-syllable mantra
- Ashṭākshara mantra: “Oṃ namo Nārāyaṇāya”, the eight-syllable mantra
Both are taught as the main mantras for the pūjā of Tila Dvādaśī, and their power is praised at length.
The Story of Tila Dvādaśī: Queen Nayanasunarī (Chapter 164)
The story that shows the power of Tila Dvādaśī is that of Nayanasunarī, a queen of Magadha, who kept this vrata with devotion. In this chapter the holy river Vitastā is said to be Umā (Pārvatī) herself, appearing as a river. Nayanasunarī’s co-wife Vasantikā learned the vrata from her and kept it too. Through the power of Tila Dvādaśī, both of them reached Śvetadvīpa, the divine abode of Bhagavān Vishṇu.
Sources
- Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapters 157–165